Owen Wilson Is NOT 'The Greatest American Hero'

For me, The Greatest American Hero was maybe one of the best things about TV in the '80s. But, Hollywood can never leave well enough alone and last February the news first hit that a feature film version was in the works. Rumor had it that Owen Wilson was at the top of the list to don the man perm and 'red jammies,' but it was not to be. Moviehole has now confirmed that Wilson will not star in the update, but the film is still moving full steam ahead. According to sources, "They're casting it for now - they're open to an unknown" (which is switch from the original notice's call for 'big names').

Hero first premiered on ABC in 1981 and the story focused on a young teacher (William Katt) who has been given superhuman abilities thanks to an alien suit. Along with an FBI agent named Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), the two kept busy for the next three seasons saving the world. According to Moviehole, the feature film will be making a departure from the original series, but it will still be a comedy at heart. The villains will still be your typical superhero baddies, but there will also be some other adversaries in the form of teachers at the school.

Stephen Herek is set to direct (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) the script from Chris Matheson and Ryan Rowe (Charlie's Angels). There is no definite timeline so far, but The Greatest American Hero should arrive in theaters sometime in 2009.